


How to Care for a Sad Person

by Flamegirl22



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: "Post" Breakup, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Don't Post To Another Site, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Tony Stark Bingo 2020, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamegirl22/pseuds/Flamegirl22
Summary: Pepper leaves Tony and Bucky doesn’t know how to help. The Internet tells him how.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	How to Care for a Sad Person

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Tony Stark Bingo 2020
> 
> Title: How to Care for a Sad Person  
> Name of Participant: Flamegirl22  
> Card Number: 3112  
> Square Filled: S5 (Vulnerability)  
> Ship: Tony Stark & Bucky Barnes  
> Rating: G  
> Major Tags: A whole lot of fluff, Bucky trying to care for “sad” Tony, Friendship  
> Summary: Pepper leaves Tony and Bucky doesn’t know how to help. The Internet tells him how.   
> Word Count: 2,460
> 
> A big thank you to my beta Politzania for the work they did on this story.
> 
> This is based on a meme I found on the internet. The list at the end was borrowed from the meme. I hope you enjoy this fluffy little fic.

How to Care for a Sad Person (Vulnerability Square)

Tony was sitting on the sofa in the communal living room. He felt numb, unable to move. There was a tiny voice in the back of his head that was telling him he should be nice and go help, but he couldn’t convince himself to move. So, he just sat there as Pepper packed what she absolutely couldn’t do without until she could get movers in for the rest of her belongings. Tony felt her come to a stop behind him. He heard the soft thud of her suitcase being stood on all four wheels, then the tapping of her heels on the floor coming closer to him. He raised his eyes from the tasteful cream heels, up the cream skirt and blazer with a blue top, to her face. It was her work face. The one she used when facing down the board, but then she softened a little.  
“I’m sorry Tony,” Pepper said.  
Tony waved his hand. His voice was slightly hoarse when he replied “We’ve been over this Pepper. I don’t want to go through it again. I understand.”  
She sighed, turned away from him and collected her suitcase. The sound of her heels grew fainter, then disappeared into the elevator and Tony was alone.

******

Over the next week the rest of the Avengers started trickling back in. Bruce was the first to return. 48 hours after Pepper left he arrived back at the tower from a conference on the West Coast. He checked in with Jarvis, asking him where Tony was, and was told that Tony didn’t want to be disturbed except for in the most dire of emergencies. Bruce shrugged, thinking nothing of it, before he went about settling back into the tower.

Clint and Sam showed up next. They had been doing a recon mission for a week. They finally got what Shield needed, allowing the next team to take over. They too asked who was in the tower and where they were. They found that Bruce was in his lab and that Tony was in his. They got the same statement about Tony that Bruce did. They looked at each other, shrugged and went about settling back into the tower.

The last to come back were Steve, Bucky and Nat. Their first stop was the communal area of the tower. They found Clint, Sam and Bruce in the kitchen. Bruce was stirring a pot on the stove while Sam was cutting a loaf of Italian bread and putting what appeared to be garlic butter on it. Clint was just in the way. The three men looked up and offered greetings. Bruce told them that dinner would be done in about fifteen minutes and if they wanted to take quick showers they would wait on them. The three quickly went about putting their gear away and washing up. They were settling around the table twenty minutes later to wonderful smelling soup and bread.  
“Where’s Tony?” Bucky asked before anyone started eating. “Shouldn’t we wait for him?”  
Bruce, Clint and Sam exchanged looks before Clint said “We haven’t seen him since we’ve come back. He’s been in the shop the whole time. Jarvis said he doesn’t want to be disturbed.”  
“No one’s seen him in a week?” Steve asked.  
When the other men shook their heads Steve turned his attention to the ceiling. Yes, he knew Jarvis wasn’t in the ceiling, but he did know that there were cameras there and he felt better addressing the cameras than the air. “Jarvis, is Tony ok?”  
“Sir is fine, Captain.” Jarvis said blandly. “He simply does not wish to be disturbed.”  
“Is he at least eating and sleeping?” Bucky cut in.  
There was a pause then Jarvis replied “I am not at liberty to discuss Sir with you at this time.”  
“So that’s a no,” Steve said and Bucky nodded along with him.  
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Bucky asked Jarvis.  
“I do not believe there is anything you can do at this time. I will pass along your concern to Sir, however.”  
The team sat in slightly uncomfortable silence for several long minutes before Nat broke it to say “He won’t be joining us, we might as well eat while it’s hot.”  
There were murmurs of agreement before everyone started eating. Bucky and Steve were the last to pick up their spoons. 

****

Tony checked with Jarvis to make sure no one was in the communal living room before he made his way upstairs. Everyone was in separate corners of the tower. Steve and Bucky were both in the gym, Natasha and Clint were in Natasha’s suite and Sam was in his own. Bruce was in his lab and Thor was off world, as far as Tony knew. Tony had only told them the bare bones about his and Pepper’s breakup and he had no desire to start talking about it now. But his rooms were too painful to spend any time there. Echos of Pepper were everywhere. He was hoping that, with time, he would be able to reclaim his rooms, but right now it was simply too raw. In every other aspect of his life he had managed to move on. He could work with her just fine. Their working relationship was almost back to where it was before their failed courtship. It wasn’t a constant fight to not fall back into a bottle anymore. He was smiling and starting to laugh again. He had finally told the team almost a month after she had left. In the months since several teammates had offered to listen if he needed to talk, but he never took them up on that. The only one who hadn’t was Bucky. At first Tony didn’t know what to think of that, but he had come to realize that the man was more of a actions vs words guy and Tony could respect that. But Bucky never seemed to know what to do, so the friendship that had been steadily building had stalled out. Tony hadn’t really realized how much he had come to like the other man until he suddenly wasn’t there anymore. 

Tony looked up from his tablet when Sam came into the room. He didn’t say anything, just offered a friendly smile as he settled into an armchair to read a book. Over the next hour both Clint and Natasha wandered into the room. Natasha had a stack of magazines and Clint set a bunch of guns and knives down on the table before settling in to cleaning them. Tony wasn’t sure how Natasha had convinced Clint to clean her gear along with his, but he wasn’t going to ask. Steve came in about an hour after everyone else, freshly showered, sketchbook in hand. Gradually light conversation started up and Tony found himself relaxing again. 

Today had been a hard day for Tony, a sleepless night followed by a major contract stalling out, Tony had his legal team on it, that left him feeling a little more raw than usual. But the presence of his friends was soothing that a bit. Everyone looked up when Bucky walked into the room. He was holding his phone in one hand and a folded blanket in the other. They all watched as he spread out the large, light blue plush blanket on the floor. He took a step back and looked at his phone. His blue eyes locked on Tony, before he came over to him. He gently pulled the tablet from his hand and settled it on the side table.  
“Bucky, what-“ Tony started to ask before cutting himself off as the super soldier slid his hands under Tony’s legs and lower back, lifting him off the sofa.   
Tony couldn’t help but flail a little bit in his arms, prompting Bucky to pull him closer to his chest and murmur “I’ve got you.” With complete ease Bucky knelt down on the floor beside the blanket then laid Tony on the end closest to him. Tony was about to sit up when Bucky tossed the edge closest to himself over him, then proceeded to log roll him to the other end of the blanket. It took less than ten seconds. When Tony was laying on his back on the ground, looking up into concerned blue eyes, arms pinned to his sides, he heard the first sounds of chuckling. Bucky looked up at the other members of their team, then back down at Tony.  
“You are now a sushi,” He announced softly, looking back down at his phone.   
Tony ignored the, now full blown laughter from their friends, and asked “What?”  
Bucky ignored him as he continued to look at his phone. When he looked up he met Natasha’s eyes and said “Move please.”  
“Bucky, what are you doing?” Steve finally asked, getting his laughter under control.   
“He is a sushi,” Bucky repeated.  
“Yes, I got that part.” Steve said patiently, trying to keep his laughter under control. “But why?”   
Bucky flipped his phone around and shoved it in Steve’s face. Steve grabbed Bucky’s wrist and moved the phone away from his face so he could see it. Tony was wiggling around, both trying to see what was going on and to get his arms free. Steve looked up after he was done reading it, lips twitching, and looked from Bucky to Tony, still squirming on the floor.   
“Well,” Steve said in a carefully controlled voice. “I guess Nat needs to vacate the sofa.”  
Natasha stood gracefully from her place on the end of the sofa, eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and stepped away.   
“Would someone please tell me what is going on?” Tony demanded.  
“Shh,” Bucky replied as he carefully scooped him up. “It’s okay.”

Tony couldn’t believe this was happening. He had no idea why he was wrapped in a blanket in the other man’s arms. He was set gently down on the sofa, carefully leaning against the arm.  
“I’ll be right back.”  
Tony looked at Steve when Bucky left the room. “You want to tell me what is going on Steve?”  
Steve seemed to think about it for a few seconds, mouth pulled down in a slight frown. “Nope.”  
“Steve!”   
“I actually think the rest of us should clear out. Give them some time.” Steve continued, blue eyes lit up with glee.  
“Don’t you dare!”   
“I think that’s a great idea,” Tasha chimed in, a small smile on her face.  
Clint and Sam just exchanged a look before shrugging and gathering up their stuff.   
“Steve,” Tony hissed. “Do not leave me. You need to convince him to let me go.”  
Steve shook his head, a slight smile on his face “He’s not holding you hostage Tony. Just relax and enjoy it.”  
“Steve-“  
The captain just laughed as he ushered everyone else out of the room. 

Tony sighed as he watched them leave. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He wasn’t sure why it was happening. All he knew was the rest of his friends were traitors. His eyes snapped to the doorway between the living room and the kitchen as he heard movement. Bucky was coming back into the room holding a tray laden with things on it. Tony watched as he placed it on the coffee table in easy reach.   
“Alright,” Bucky said softly. “Just bear with me, okay Tones?”  
Tony just shot him a confused look. That confusion turned to surprise when Bucky leaned him forward and slid in behind him. Tony couldn’t help but stiffen slightly, but when Bucky didn’t do anything except let Tony lay against him, the engineer found himself relaxing. The slight rise and fall of the super soldier’s breathing was oddly soothing.  
“Jarvis can you start Episode I: The Phantom Menace please?” Bucky asked.   
Jarvis didn’t reply, just dimmed the lights and started playing the movie. They were half way in when Bucky reached for the items on the coffee table. He opened one of the plastic containers, picked up a fork and speared something inside. He held a blueberry and a piece of strawberry in front of Tony’s mouth. Tony arched his neck so he could look at Bucky. The long haired brunette just smiled at him encouragingly, saying nothing. Tony turned back to the fork and the fruit on the end and opened his mouth. He could tell this whole thing was important to Bucky, so he decided to keep going along with it. He allowed Bucky to feed him several more bites then softly insisted that Bucky needed to eat too. There was a pause then he said softly “As long as you keep eating.” 

Once the fruit was gone, and they were on the second movie, Bucky broke out the chocolate covered coffee beans that everyone knew were Tony’s favorite chocolate treat. Bucky kept insisting that Tony drink some water as well. Tony found himself completely relaxed as the second movie came to an end.  
“How do you feel?” Bucky asked, breath tickling Tony’s neck and ear.  
Tony thought about it for a little while, then smiled.  
“I’m a lot better than I was. Thank you Frosty.”  
Bucky smiled down at him. “I’m glad. I don’t like seeing my friends sad. I didn’t know what to do to help you.”  
“This was perfect. A little odd, but perfect. Where did you come up with this?”  
Bucky dug around in his pocket, then carefully helped Tony free his arms before handing over his phone. Tony could only stare at the meme on the screen.  
How To Care For A Sad Person:  
1 Lay Blanket Out  
2 Pick Up Sad Person  
3 Lay Sad Person In Blanket  
4 Roll Them Like A Sushi  
5 Place Sad Roll On Bed/Couch/Comfy Place  
6 Hug Roll Close  
7 Put On Rolls Favorite Movies  
8 Feed Roll Snacks  
9 Make Sure Roll Is Well Hydrated. Tears Make Roll Dehydrated.  
10 Happy ‘Lil Sushi Roll

“You are now a Happy ‘lil sushi roll.”  
Tony huffed lightly, trying to sound annoyed, but failing spectacularly and said “I’m not that little.”  
Bucky just smirked down at him and Tony couldn’t help but wonder when the last time someone had gone so far out of their way to make him comfortable. He figured it must have been Rhodey when they were at MIT together. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Bucky’s soft voice asked “But you are happy?”  
Tony smiled up at him and deliberately snuggled back into him. “Yeah, I’m happy. You game for another movie?”  
Bucky pulled him just a bit closer, tucking the smaller man’s head under his chin while saying “Good and of course I want to watch another movie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time.


End file.
